Friday Night Lights: The Last Walk

The Havre High football program has many great traditions, but the greatest among them is the final walk that each Blue Pony football player gets to experience in their final game at Blue Pony Stadium.

For the 2014 senior class that final walk will come tonight when the Ponies host the Browning Indians on senior night.

Havre can still make the Class A State playoffs with a win over the Indians, but even with a win the Ponies can finish no higher than third, which means if they do make the playoffs, all of the games will be on the road, making tonight the last home game of the 2014 season.

That means that regardless of what happens against Browning, 11 HHS seniors, including Jace Billy, Jase Kato, Derek Matosich, Michael Compton, Ruben Stewart, Gunner Aageson, Josh Emge, Levi Huston, Rockwell Kuhr, Tyrell Pierce and Jordan Schroeder will play their last home game. Afterwards, each of them will walk from end zone to end zone, hand-in-hand, one last time.

"It's a special night for the seniors," HHS head coach Jason Christenson said. "It will be their last time playing at Blue Pony Stadium under the lights. That's always a special moment and that's kind of the time when you hopefully played a hard game and a got a win. It's the time when you look back and reflect on the last four years. You do that walk at the end and cover that last 100 yards one more time. Your family is there to support you and celebrate your achievements and that all just makes it a really special night."

The players knew this night would come, but after watching others to do it for three years, when the time finally comes for them to participate, it can be hard to fathom.

"It's going to be a crazy moment," Kato said. "You think about it will be the last time (at Blue Pony Stadium). I felt like it was going to last forever but it's gone by really quick."

Playing high school football is a unique experience. A few may move on to play collegiately or even in rare cases, professionally. But, the majority of players will never play after high school, which makes putting that uniform on in front of your family and friends one last time, a memorable experience.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Compton said. "You don't get it back, so it's important that you leave it all out on the field."

There can be no argument that it's been a challenging season for the Ponies. It began with high expectations. There were hopes that Havre could compete for a Central A title and possibly make a deep run in the playoffs.

For whatever reason, things have not gone as planned and Havre has struggled to a 3-5 record. But, a win against Browning means the start of a new season, giving this senior class an opportunity to re-write their legacy and keep playing football for as long as HHS can keep winning.

"It's important for us to go out there and get a win for these seniors. We want to get some momentum going into the playoffs and keep them playing football for as long as we can," Christenson said. "It has been an honor and a privilege to coach these guys. They are some unique characters in this group and it has been great to get to know them and build that relationship with each of them. They will always have a special place in my heart."

But in the end, what happens on the field will be forgotten, while moments like the walk, the friendships and memories made playing high school football will live on forever.

"You have to make some memories out there," Aageson said. "It hasn't quite sunk in yet, but four years down the road, it will be really important to me. I want to give it the best that I've got in my last home game and I'm really excited for it."

Havre and Browning will get things underway tonight at 7. The final walk for the HHS seniors will take place immediately following the conclusion of the game.